Us Against The World
by Welcome2MyWorldxoxo
Summary: O/s. He was her first kiss, first love, best friend, and cousin. A taboo love unbound by the restraints of society. Two star-crossed lovers forced apart, distance and time never diminishing their connection.


****Title: Us Against The World****

****Author Name: Welcome2MyWorldxoxo****

****Rating: NC17****

****Word Count: 6,500****

****Pairing: Edward and Bella****

**AN:** I'm dedicating this fic to a dear friend of mine, Dee, who partially inspired this story with her own. She has four beautiful kids, and I have never seen a more perfect couple than her and her husband even when they fight. Thanks to Tonya Manning for betaing this for me!

**Warning: **_This fic deals with incestry between first cousins. If that squeaks you out then press the red button in the corner of the screen._

**Summary:** He was her first kiss, first love, best friend, and cousin**. **A taboo love unbound by the restraints of society. Two star-crossed lovers forced apart, distance and time never diminishing their connection.

_**And if we could float away  
>Fly up to the surface and just start again<br>And lift off before trouble  
>Just erodes us in the rain <strong>_

_**Us against the world by Coldplay.**_

**Us Against The World**

**Bella**

**...**

I tilted my head back, closing my eyes as the wind brushed against my skin, the sun saturating me with its warm rays as we sped down the highway. My hair whipped around me, dancing and twisting as my fingers flexed against the lowered glass of the window. My chest was tight, my stomach jumping and squirming with excitement and anticipation.

My lips curled up into a smile as I inhaled the sea air, feeling the salt coat my skin, the familiarity bittersweet of the childhood I had experienced here. My earrings jingled like small bells in my ears as they tossed this way and that by the breeze.

"Isabella, get your head back inside the car," my father ordered without even looking up from his newspaper in the passenger seat. I pulled a face, but ducked my head back in, watching the passing scenery with interest.

It had been almost eleven years since I had been back to Los Angeles to visit my Aunt Elizabeth and Uncle Ed, but honestly, that wasn't the reason for my excitement. Their son—and my cousin—Edward was the reason for my exuberance. We had been as thick as thieves as children, always getting into mischief and causing trouble. There had always been this spark, this intimacy, and a closeness that we had shared that had me vowing to marry him at the tender age of seven.

It was around that time that our parents started acting weird, trying to separate us, telling us that our relationship wasn't normal. We reached the age where boys thought girls had cooties and were stupid, but Edward always stuck by me, holding my hand in the playground and telling me that since my mum didn't have cooties then neither did I.

Looking back, I guess our relationship had been weird, but we hadn't cared. It all came to heads though, when our parents caught him giving me my first kiss at nine. It was a quick, sloppy peck, but soon after that, my parents decided that forcibly creating some space between us was for the best. I had screamed and cried, argued, and ignored them, too young to understand that they were trying to do what was best for me.

My heart broke for the first time the day we drove away, leaving out life in San Francisco for Kansas City.

I hadn't seen him since, but unbeknownst to our parents we had reconnected a few years ago via Facebook, falling back into our easy relationship. We flirted and joked easily, talking about anything and everything.

I was there for him when his girlfriend broke his heart, and he in turn made it his life mission to give me confidence. My figure had always been a little bigger than the rest of the girls in my class and it had taken me until I was eighteen to grow into my body and realize that what I had deemed as fat was curves.

He didn't shy away from telling me I was beautiful or sexy, and I was quick to return the sentiments. At twenty-two, he was tanned from surfing, his abs defined and muscled, his jaw sharp, his cheekbones high, and pouty lips that rivaled any models. His auburn hair was always falling in his face in his pictures, and if you looked carefully you could see the freckles dotted around his nose.

I had sent him a "Gingers have no souls" t-shirt for his birthday last year, which he had hated and loved at the same time. The hate stemming from the fact that he hated being referred to as ginger. I was the only one allowed to tease him about his hair without him blowing up about it.

"You excited, Baby?" my mother asked, glancing at me in the rearview mirror.

"Of course," I scoffed since I had squealed and screamed until my voice was hoarse when they initially told me the news. I tucked a few strays hairs behind my ear and smoothed down my clothes.

I had picked a loose, graffitied tank top, knotted at my hip so that it was pulled taut over my body with a frayed, faded, pleated denim mini skirt. My dad hadn't particularly enthused about the amount of skin my clothes showed, but I was twenty and he had no real say in what I wore or did.

I scuffed the toe of my dirty, blue chucks against the floor of the car, my earrings jangling in my ears as I forced myself to breathe properly. I had put a lot of thought into my clothes, wanting to look sexy, but still me. It had been years since we'd had a face-to-face encounter, and I wanted to make a good impression.

I was practically vibrating by the time we pulled onto their street, my fingers fidgeting in my lap. I was out of the car before the car was fully parked, running up the steps of their porch and ringing the doorbell impatiently.

My heart hammered in my chest as I heard the lock on the other side being pulled back and the door opened to reveal my Aunt Elizabeth.

"Bella!" she squealed, pulling me into a tight hug. "Oh my gosh, child, you're all grown up."

I blushed as she stepped back, her hands on my shoulders as she looked me over. "You've grown up into such a beautiful woman. Hasn't she, Ed?" she said, turning her attention to my Uncle.

He smiled, his blue eyes dancing. "Of course, Darling," he agreed, and I moved to give him a hug as well.

Once the greetings were over, I couldn't hold the question bubbling up in my throat. "Where's Edward?" I asked.

Aunt Liz sighed, rolling her eyes. "Still down at the beach. I swear, the only times he spends in here is to sleep and eat."

I barely listened as I made my through the house and out the backdoor, the disappointment of him not greeting me at the door fading as I opened the gate at the bottom of their yard and raced down the path toward the beach.

I almost tripped over when I saw him, surfboard under arm, his board shorts hanging low on his hips as he shook the water out of his hair, the water glistening off his skin. I swallowed tightly as his eyes rose, his thick eyelashes wet as his grey and green eyes met mine. It was every word and every thought disintegrated from my mind as our eyes connected, and I swear a bolt of electricity slammed through my body, knocking the wind out of me.

A smile curved up on his lips and his eyes sparkled as he dropped his board and held his arms out for me. I took off across the beach, sand flying everywhere as I jumped up, wrapping my legs around his waist, almost knocking him over.

Our arms wrapped tightly around the other as we touched, inhaling each other's scents as we re-familiarized ourselves with one another.

"Hey, stranger," I said shyly, pulling back so that my eyes could take in the plains of his face.

"It's been way too long, Baby girl," he said, spinning me round in circles as I giggled, finally feeling like I was home. I eventually slid down his body, my hands lingering on his chest for a few moments longer than appropriate. He leaned down, nuzzling his face in my hair before placing a kiss on my forehead.

"We should probably head on up," he said, collecting his board and wrapping his free arm around my waist. I snuggled into him, happy and content as we made our way up the beach.

**...**

I nibbled on my bottom lip nervously as I stared at myself in the full-length mirror. I was wearing a deep purple bikini with white Hawaiian flowers doted over it. The bottom were a boy short cut, but I couldn't help but feel self-conscious about the way my D cup breasts were spilling from the haltered top.

I wrapped a beach towel under my arms, deciding to hide my body for the time being, and made my way downstairs. The parents were out on the back deck, drinking and talking as I went past, waving at them as I slipped through the gate and down to the beach.

We had been here for two glorious weeks, in which time I had danced around the attraction between Edward and I, unsure whether or not I was ready to acknowledge that our relationship was—and always had—crossed lines, creating something more than just a cousinly bond.

"You ready?" Edward asked just as I dropped my towel. It didn't escape my notice how his eyes raked over my scantily clad body with appreciation before they met mine. He wasn't in the least bit embarrassed at being caught looking at me like that. He just shrugged and smirked at me as if to say "What! I'm a guy."

He handed me his spare surfboard, and I grinned back at him, my eyebrows raised. Though I had spent many years living in the city, my parents had a thing for family vacations, so we spent quite a bit of time in Hawaii. I wasn't great on a board, but I could get by, and the calmness of just sitting on it, the water lapping over the edges calmed my mind like nothing else.

"Let's go, Baby girl," he said, reaching out and slapping me on the ass before jogging down the beach without a second glance. I stood, frozen in shock, for a moment, surprised at his forwardness before swallowing it down and following him.

If I thought the chemistry and sparks we shared would be dulled out there in the water, then I was sorely mistaken. Watching the way he twisted and curved, his muscles tensing and contracting as he rode waves had me almost panting, my nipples hard and my pussy wet.

I tried to distract myself by riding some of the smaller waves, but all it did was end me with me constantly falling off my board, my mind too focused on him to fully concentrate.

He was pulling me from under the water after my latest fall when it happened. The sandy floor gave way somewhat, and I fell forward on unsteady legs against him, pressing my chest flush to his.

His arm automatically wrapped around my waist, pulling my body fully into him as I grasped his chest for support. I gasped, my eyes flying up to meet his as I felt something hard press insistently against my stomach. My nipples were swollen and hard against his chest as I looked up at him, the air fizzling with electricity. It still surprised me at how tall he was compared to me, the top of my head barely reaching his chin.

I could feel his heart thumping under my hand as my lips parted, the lust clear and undisguised in his hooded eyes. He wanted me, and as much as I tried to ignore it and push my feelings back, I wanted him too.

I didn't give a flying fuck that we were related, that he was my mother's sister's child. To me, he was just Edward, the guy who I had been in love with since before I could remember.

He was my first kiss, and the one person I felt comfortable telling my deepest, darkest secrets to. How could it be wrong when what we felt was irrevocable, and had spanned for years, distance and time not diminishing our connection?

I realized now that every relationship I'd had hadn't worked because I was constantly comparing them to Edward, and they never matched up fully. I'd taken my title as "heart breaker" in stride, biding my time until I found the guy that would rock my world, and I had found him—or rather rediscovered him.

"Bella! Edward! Lunch is on the table."

We were jolted out of our moment by my mother's call from the beach. We immediately took a step back from each other, our eyes meeting shyly with promises of more later.

We moved toward the beach quickly, neither one of us saying a word as we toweled off and headed back to the house. I raced to my room, quickly pulling on a pair or faded shorts and a tank top of my bikini before retying my hair up in a ponytail and heading down to join the rest at the table.

Edward had thrown on a t-shirt, which was both sad and good. Sad because his chest was proof that there was a merciful God up in the clouds and wasn't something that should be covered, and good because I didn't want to be poking anyone with my nipples.

We all settled down, saying grace quickly before helping ourselves to Aunt Liz's legendary spaghetti bolognese with bread rolls and salad. Famished from my time in the water, I tucked in heartily, ignoring my mother's disapproving looks.

She had somehow gotten into her mind that I needed to lose weight and go on a diet, and while that notion hurt a smidge, I wasn't going to starve myself just so that I could look like those sticks in magazines.

I wasn't overweight, and I was perfectly healthy. I had a dog, Darcy, back home that I walked at least once a day, helping me keep fit. I took after my father in concerns of my build, and my mother, being naturally small and skinny, didn't quite understand that.

"So, Bella, what was going on down at the beach when I arrived. You and Edward seemed rather close," she commented, gaining the attention of everyone at the table.

I fought back against the pink flush snaking its way up my neck as I took note at the suspicious gazes of our parents as they darted between me and Edward, solidifying the fact that if we did decide to pursue this connection between us, it would not be well received by our parents.

I opened my mouth to speak, unsure of what to say, when I felt Edward's hand squeeze my thigh encouragingly. "I fell off my board...again," I said, pulling a face and rolling my eyes at myself. "Edward was just fishing me out of the water." I gave a shrug of nonchalance, relaxing under Edward's touch as he traced patterns on my skin.

"Don't forget about the part that after I finished fishing you out, you almost tripped over," he added, and I scowled at him playfully while the parents snickered at my infamous clumsiness.

"I heard there was a storm coming in," My dad said to Uncle Ed, changing the subject, taking the subject away from me, leaving me happy to enjoy the rest of my meal, the tingles from Edward's hand on my thigh continuing until after dessert.

**...**

It turned out that my dad was right about the storm in the end. After having spent the afternoon bribed into shopping with Aunt Liz and my mum who tried to force me into granny, conservative clothes that really weren't my style. We managed to find a compromise between Conservative and what I liked to wear before I managed to sneak off to the fun part of the mall where I bought Edward a t-shirt with the words "I'm with sexy" and an arrow pointing upwards, which I knew he would love.

Dinner was a quiet affair, and afterwards we settled in the den to watch a movie with Matt Damon in about a disease killing off a load of people because of a piece of bad pork. It was interesting, but made me doubtful on whether or not I'd be able to stomach the Christmas ham this year.

The storm rolled in around nine, cutting out the power so that we ended up calling it an early night. I had always hated storms, the rumbling of thunder, the flashes of light illuminating my room as the wind howled like I was part of some badly made horror movie. The rain pitter-pattered angrily against the window and I pulled the covers up over my head, trying to swallow back my irrational paranoia.

Usually, I was able to suffer through it, a spoon full of cough medicine helping me sleep, but being back in this house brought back the memories of when I was a child, and how I would always sneak into Edward's bed. We would make a tent out of the bed covers and read with the light of his flashlight until we passed out from exhaustion.

I slipped out of bed, shivering from the draft as it blew up the grey, Tweety bird cotton t-shirt nightie that I wore to bed. I wrapped my arms around my stomach as I tiptoed out of my room, closing the door inaudibly behind me before sneaking across the hall to Edward's.

The creaking of the stairs made my heart jump up into my throat and I slipped into his room, closing the door quickly behind me as I heard quiet voices drift past the room. I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to calm my breathing before opening them.

"Baby girl?" Edward, who during my daring escapade into his room, had woken up, squinted at me in confusion as he sat up on his elbows.

"Can I stay with you tonight?" I begged, honestly not above getting on my knees and pleading for him to allow me to stay.

He held my gaze for a long moment before flopping onto his back with a sigh; dry washing his face as he tried to wake up fully. "Sure. Hand me a pair of boxers first though. They're in the second drawer," he murmured, his voice husky and thick with sleep.

I didn't question his request, just went over to his dresser and pulled out the first pair of boxers I could get my hands on. I threw them at him, and my brain finally caught up as to why he wanted boxers as he lifted his hips, sliding them up his legs.

My knees felt weak at the thought that he had been naked just moments before, and I swallowed tightly, my heart hammering now for a completely different reason.

"Come on, Baby girl," he coaxed, pulling back the sheets on the empty side of them bed. Pulling myself together, I dashed across the room, climbing up on his bed and snuggling in next to him, relishing the warmth radiating from his body. We lay facing each other, our eyes gazing with unwavering intensity. His hand grasped my own slowly, carefully, threading them together.

He sighed, his eyelids fluttering as he smiled softly at me. "I missed holding your hand," he murmured, and I looked down shyly at his complement. He used his free hand to nudge my chin back up. "You're too beautiful to hide your face," he told me, letting the pads of his fingers skim over the side of my face until he was cupping my cheek.

"What is this?" I whispered, almost scared to know the answer. "This thing, this connection, between us."

Lightning flashed, briefly illuminating his face, his adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed. "I don't know," he admitted. "But it can't be wrong if it feels so right, so natural. I feel as though you were always meant to be mine, that the girls I dated were just to pass the time until we met again."

I nodded in agreement, unsurprised at how right his words felt. "I've never had a serious relationship because I compared every guy to you, and they just never measured up," I told him.

He shifted, moving to lean his forehead against mine. "They'll never accept us if we do this," he told me, referring to our parents.

I shook my head. "They've kept us apart long enough. Its time we took our future into our own hands," I said decisively.

"What about school?" he asked.

"I've already put in a transfer for UCLA," I admitted. "I'm done pretending that when I go to bed at night that I'm not thinking of you as I touch myself, that you don't star in every dream and fantasy of mine. I want you, and I'm done caring that we're related."

His eyes penetrated mine deeply, the hand on my cheek moving to grasp my hair and draw my face to his. Our lips hovered centimetres apart, his breath fanning out across my face as I arched closer, threading my hand through his hair before tentatively kissing him. A shuddering breath left me as our lips touched, the pillowed softness of his mouth more than I could ever conjured up in my mind.

Our kisses were open-mouthed, our mouths wet and gentle as we acclimated ourselves to this new interaction. He kissed my bottom and then my top lip softly before pulling back, his eyes searching my face for my reaction.

"I've loved you since I was seven," he breathed out, his admission rushed. "The day you left my heart broke, and since you've been back I've felt like I was whole again."

The feelings stirring in me were overwhelming, and I felt helpless to do anything but seal our lips back together with vigor. Our lips yielded as we grasped each other tightly, pulling and tugging until we were pressed flush together, our legs tangled as he ran his tongue along my lip, seeking entrance into my mouth.

I allowed him into my mouth willingly, my tongue reaching out to greet his, stroking and caressing it as his flavor exploded on my taste buds. He tasted like boy and man mixed together, musky and spicy and undeniably him, just like his scent.

I felt so at home in his arms, our mouth melded together in a heated, passionate kiss. No words were needed as he pulled my bottom lip into his mouth, sucking on it as I squirmed in his grasp, my arousal heightening.

He pulled back once it became apparent that we needed to breath, and we lay there, our forehead touching and our chests heaving.

"We should stop," he murmured finally, his tone was as reluctant as I felt. He stroked his thumb over my swollen lips lovingly. "I don't want to ruin this by moving too quickly. I want to take you out properly before I ravage you."

His words melted me in both its romance and eroticism. I wanted him to touch me everywhere, to have his mouth seek out and lap up my slick arousal, but he was right in wanting to wait. Impatience was the downfall of man, and by waiting it would make the experience that much better.

"You're right," I murmured, kissing him chastely. "I wouldn't want it to happen with my parents right down the hall anyway. We should make it special and not a quick fumble in the dark."

We shared a few more soft kisses before I twisted around in his arms so that I was facing away from him, untangling our hands minutely as my back shifted to press against his chest. I recaptured it, the calloused pads of his fingers brushing against me as his hand engulfed mine, another indication of how much bigger he was compared to me.

He pulled me to him, cradling my body in his so that we were spooning, his sinewy, lean muscles wrapping around me protectively and his erection pressing into my ass.

"Is that a flashlight in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?" I quipped as he attempted to adjust himself discreetly into a more comfortable position.

He chuckled, leaning over so that his mouth was level with my ear. "I'm always happy to see you," he murmured.

I had to bite my lip to stop the whimper from escaping at his double entendre, my thighs rubbing together to try and gain some friction as I thought back to the times we'dSykpe'd,wondering if he had been hard and wanting. I closed my eyes, trying to push through the haze of lust, allowing it to dissipate slightly before breathing out a long breath. "You're cruel," I huffed sulkily, throbbing for him.

His chest rumbled with a laugh, and he nuzzled my neck, kissing it gently. "And yet you love me."

A smile twitched up on my lips at his words and I squeezed his hand in affirmation. "As if I could feel anything less for you."

**...**

I was swimming between consciousness and sleep, my mind hazy with sleep, but my body pulsing and hyperaware. I peeled back my eyelids as I tried to get my bearings. I forced my mind to join the land of the living as I tried to work out where I was. Realizing that I wasn't in my room at my Uncle's and Aunt's, I was bombarded with memories of last night, and of the fact that I was in Edward's room.

He moaned quietly behind me, shifting his position as his hand flexed on my bare thigh where my nightie had risen up, bunching up around my waist. I sucked in a sharp breath as his erection slid between my legs, nudging my panties.

"Edward," I murmured, my voice slightly breathless as his hips thrust forward again.

He didn't reply, leading me to believe that he was still asleep, and was simply reacting to the close proximity to my body. His hand moved up from my thigh, over my panties, to my stomach, pushing up my nightie at the same time.

"Bella," he breathed out, his breath hot against the back of my neck. I shivered, closing my eyes as I gave into the sensations, rocking my hips back into him as my arousal started building, lubricating my pussy with my wetness, causing it to drip from my folds.

I reached back, my arousal spiking as my hand clasped his bare hip, my throat tightening slightly as I realized that he was naked behind me, rutting his bare cock against me. He must have kicked his boxers off at some point during the night, his body most likely unused to wearing clothes to bed.

"Fuck!" I moaned as his hand snaked up my stomach, lingering underneath my breast. "Edward." My voice was a plea, a soft cry for more, but it seemed to be enough. He tensed behind me, ceasing all movement as he returned to the land of the living, but I wasn't having any of it.

I was swollen and aching for him, my pussy slick and my nipples hard. "Don't stop," I begged, digging my nails into his hip. I knew that we were supposed to be waiting and taking this slow, but I needed him to relieve the burning ache in the pit of my stomach.

"Baby girl," he murmured, his breathing labored and his voice strained as he fought for control.

"Please," I pressed, knowing that he could deny me nothing. He released a long breath before shifting his body forward, tentatively thrusting between my legs as he reached up to cup my plump, supple breast. I hummed and arched in pleasure, the feel of him between my legs enough to ruin a good pair of panties.

He rolled my swollen, puffy nipple between his fingers, tugging and twisting it as he his thrust started gaining in force.

"Yes, I need...fuck! I want to feel you," I babbled, fisting my panties and dragging them down to my knees.

He stopped thrusting and I had to bite down on my hand to stop the loud whine of protest from escaping. "Baby girl," he panted. "We can't go all the way."

"I know," I told him, "I just want to feel you between my legs. I'm clean, and I need this...badly."

"Fuck, me too," he admitted with a groan, burying his face in my neck as his hips propelled forward, his cock slipping between my slick folds, through my labia until it grazed my plump, throbbing clit. "So wet!" he hissed, his words muffled in my neck as I bit into my knuckles, my own cry of pleasure muted.

He yanked my nightie up over my breasts as I raised my hands, giving him room to discard of it fully, leaving me as naked as he was. The hairs on my arms rose, my skin hyper-aware of every touch and brush of his.

He was so rigid and thick as he eased through my swollen lips, and I pulled back the sheets, my eyes falling to the flesh between my legs. Watching the bulbous tip peek out, his cock coated in my arousal had my thighs trembling and my stomach tightening.

"Do you like that?" he asked, running the tip of his tongue along the outer shell of my ear, the wet heat fleeting but sent a shiver down my spine. I nodded, too afraid that my response would wake someone up to say anything. I had never felt anything so intense sexually before, the feel of him shooting sparks through my veins and sending me higher as he sucked and nipped my earlobe.

Maybe it was overwhelming to me because we weren't supposed to be doing this. This was taboo and in so many societies frowned upon. He was related to me by blood, and therefore what we were doing was considered incest. I knew it wasn't unheard of to be with and even marry your first cousin, but I also knew that in most states it was illegal to marry your first cousin, and with the way I knew we both felt, we would be heading in that direction eventually.

I knew it wouldn't stay a secret forever, and when it came out I was prepared to fight against any resistance.

I gasped as he used his free hand to rub my clit, edging me even closer to the edge. I moaned as quietly as I was able, my body arching as he tugged my nipple harshly, the pain sparking into pleasure. "Cum for me," he demanded, leaving no room for me to do anything but what he had commanded from me.

I shuddered, my body quivering as I shattered in his arms, turning my face to bury it in the pillows to muffle my keens and mewls of pleasure. My eyes rolled back into my head, my orgasm dragging me beneath its undertow as wave after wave crashed over me, my arousal leaking down my thigh as I sank into it.

I was barely aware of him pulling back, moving away from me as his own release took over him.

We lay panting and sweating across his bed as we came, our minds clouded and our bodies slumped bonelessly against the mattress. A smile curved up on my lips, and I couldn't hold back the giggle that escaped my lips. I wasn't even sure why I was giggling, but I was so relaxed and sated that I really didn't care.

He joined in, chuckling as he sat, picking up his discarded boxers from the end of the bed and cleaning his cum from his hand and stomach.

"Why are we laughing?" he asked, rolling onto his side to face me, a wide grin on his face.

"No idea," I admitted, letting out a long sigh of content as I moved to mirror his position, uncaring of how the sheet fell at my waist to reveal my breasts. "But that has to have been my best sexual experience ever."

He smirked cockily at me, obviously pleased with himself. "I'm glad you thought so."

I rolled my eyes at him, but didn't let my ire dim my smile. He leaned over, placing a delicate kiss on my forehead. "It was my best sexual experience, as well," he murmured, and I melted, feeling my heart swell at his admission.

"Really?" I asked, feeling suddenly shy as he pulled back, his green eyes swirling with grey.

"Uh huh, I've never cum so hard in my life."

I traced patterns on his chest, digesting the events that had taken place as his own fingers danced over my stomach. His eyebrows pulled together and his lips pursed, telling me that he was thinking deeply.

I knew there was no going back from this, and I knew we had to figure out where to go from here. My placing a transfer for uni had been a step in the right direction, even if at the time my reasons had been more platonic than they were now.

I was at a loss as to how to deal with our parents, knowing that they had strived for years to keep us apart. Our interactions for the last few years had been done in secret, hidden away out of fear that they would once again try and separate us.

It made my heart ache to think that Edward and I might never be accepted by those closest to us, but sometimes there had to be sacrifices and compromises to help create the bigger picture.

"How are we supposed to do this?" I asked, my voice faltering slightly.

He brushed my hair out of my face, the light of the dawn slipping in through the thin curtains and covering us.

"We'll take it one day at a time," he promised. "As long as we know that we love each other and are not afraid to talk to each other, even about the difficult stuff. If we can be there for, and support one another, then we'll make it. We just to have faith in this. The odds are finally working in our favor, and God is smiling down kindly at us. We can't let doubt infect our relationship," he said passionately.

"Promise me that when I leave you'll call and text me often," I begged, my insecurities building as I thought of going back to my life in Kansas City.

"I'll promise you that if you promise that no matter what happens or how you feel, you'll talk to me about it," he responded.

I nodded, biting down on my lip as I slipped my hand back into his, my small hand fitting perfectly against his palm. "I promise," I told him, grinning giddily at him. "I'm so glad I have you now. I don't think we could have done it before, when we were younger, but, right now, this is so right. I don't care what anyone else thinks about it, I know this is right, this is us."

"You don't know how happy it makes me to hear you say that," he replied. "I never want to leave this bed, but unless you want to get caught this early on in the game, you should go back to your room," he said, reluctance coloring his tone.

My breathing stuttered and I swallowed through the pain of leaving him, even if it was to just go across the hall. My eyes fell closed minutely as I forced myself to be strong, breathing through my nose.

"Okay," I whispered.

I grabbed my nightie, pulling it back over my head and pulled my panties up. I kneeled on the bed, leaning down to give him a chaste, closed my mouth kiss on the lips before slipping off the bed and to the door. My eyes lingered on him longingly as I opened the door and he blew me a kiss, causing me to smile before I ducked out of his room and into mine.

I breathed out a sigh, the room seeming cold and empty as I crawled into the cool sheet, my hair splaying out on the pillow behind me as I ran the pad of my thumb over my swollen, bottom lip.

The future may have been undecided, but with Edward by my side, I knew I could take on anything.

World...bring it on.

**...**

**AN: **If you made it through this and enjoyed it, don't be shy to tell me in a review or PM, if you didn't like then I would please ask that you use sensitivity and cautiousness in your criticism because this is a subject very close to me because of my friend, Dee, and all insults will be taken personally.


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